Solar farms in the Sahara could power all of Europe

March 12, 2009
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

All of Europe’s energy needs could be met by covering an area in the Sahara Desert with solar panels, it was announced in Copenhagen.

With a solar farm as large as Ireland, Europe could realistically consider receiving 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.  Since the sun in North Africa is twice as strong as it is in southern Europe, just 0.3% of the light will be sufficient to power Europe, said Arnulf Jaeger-Waldau of the European commission’s Institute for Energy.  Scientists envision that 100GW could be generated by 2050, which is more than the combined electricity output from all sources in the UK.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

In what could be a £50 billion multiple government investment over the next ten years, these solar farms could produce electricity either through photovoltaic cells or by turning water to steam by focusing the sun’s rays with mirrors.  In addition, the cost of moving electricity long distances is down at least three-quarters.  The investment would also make the Sahara an exceptional prospect for private investors years from now.

Solar farms in North Africa would make fossils fuels less relevant and would make Europe less likely to depend on Russia and the Middle East for energy.  Trials of concentrated solar power for sources of European electricity will be planned for Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Dubai while Libya and Tunisia may also be considered as alternatives.

While political hurdles such as resident complaints exist about having transmission cables near their homes, there is also the possibility of wind farms being placed along the North African coast.  Winds created by the Sun heating the air are stronger during the summer, when European wind turbines, are less productive.

Read Next

Premium
October 24, 2025
Marcel Suri explores the datasets that will help improve the accuracy of PV output estimation and drive better performance.
October 24, 2025
US solar tracker manufacturer Nextracker and Saudi-based energy company Abunayyan Holding have formed a joint venture (JV) in Saudi Arabia.
October 24, 2025
The Saudi state-owned renewables developer Masdar has begun construction on a giant solar-plus-storage project in Abu Dhabi.
October 23, 2025
The average price of a solar PPA signed in Europe in Q3 2025 fell below €35/MWh, reaching €34.25/MWh, according to LevelTen Energy.
October 23, 2025
Infrastructure investment firm Nuveen Infrastructure has secured US$171 million in financing for a 137MW solar PV plant in South Korea.
October 23, 2025
US solar manufacturer T1 Energy sold approximately 725MW of solar modules in Q3 2025, as it continues to expand US manufacturing capabilities.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 10, 2026
Frankfurt, Germany
Solar Media Events
March 24, 2026
Lisbon, Portugal